Elvis Costello says writing about music is the same as dancing about architecture - it's really a stupid thing to do.

Thursday, 31 March 2016

April Gig Guide

Welcome to April and post-Easter recovery!

It seems to be a fairly quiet month. The WA Symphony Orchestra will launch the month with Mahler's Resurrection Symphony on April 1st and 2nd, a fitting end to the Easter season. Asher Fisch is conducting and I expect it will be spectacular. WASO will also perform Mendelssohn's popular Violin Concerto performed by new concert master Laurence Jackson. Reports from the musicians are that he is a delightful guy, quietly spoken but much respected. And if his cameo solo in Thus Spake Zarathustra was anything to go by he has a gorgeous sound and a bit of dramatic flair which will be perfect for Mendelssohn.

WASO also feature in what is my highlight for the month, the WA Opera's performance of The Riders. The opera is based on the novel by Tim Winton with music composed by (ex-Perth) Iain Grandage and starring soprano Emma Pearson (also ex-Perth). So it is going to be a local fiesta!

On Wednesday 6th at St George’s Cathedral Mark Coughlan will perform Grieg's Piano Concerto and Louise McKay will be soloist in Elgar's cello concerto. On Friday 8th the Indian Ocean Chamber Ensemble -
WAAPA’s answer to Ensemble Vagabond? – are debuting at the WA Academy of Performing Arts. They will perform Claude Bolling’s Suite for violin
and jazz piano (Alex da Costa and Graham Wood),Michael Dogherty’s Dead Elvis (Natalya
Czernicziw) and a bass clarinet (Philip Everall) work by Osvaldo Golijov.

Sunday 10th violinist Ronald Thomas and pianist David Wickham will
perform Beethoven’s complete sonatas as the first of a three part series
at Perth Town Hall which will be continued
on April 17th and May 1st. On Sunday 17th the University of Western Australia Symphony Orchestra (conducted by
Mark Coughlan) will performs Strauss favourites at Government House Ballroom.

The month closes with the ever-versatile WASO , this time performing with the hip hop group Hilltop Hoods at Perth Arena!